Why ?

FFS is “Fast File System”

SFS is “Smart File System”

With FFS :

I’ve been more than once in front of the problem of partition validating for ages in cause of a crash when some writing was going. This is not so annoying when it is a FD that is 880Kb big, but when it is a 3Gb partition…

As I have backups of my files, what I did was to reformat the partition each time, and copy back the files (faster then waiting for the revalidation!).

Other problem is the speed of this filesystem.

Last minute note : to avoid long validation, you can use the tool “disksafe”, that you can find on aminet.

With SFS :

the speed is better, there is no revalidation, and the defragmentation is included “on the go”, and you have a better Large HD support.

AROS : will access the partitions natively in a more robust way than with FFS.

And I’ve made absolutely all the possible errors, so I want to share my experience.

COUNCILS

Note 2018 03 09 : After experimenting a lot, you should keep the first partition in FFS to be able to share your files with your linux system, like in those two articles :

Partitions parameters summary

The hardware

I do not use WinUAE or this kind of (very usefull and handy) tools to do the transfer. I’m on a single amiga 1200.

Note 2018 03 10 : it has changed now, i use FS-UAE under linux a lot a lot now, it simplifies the life so much 🙂

To be able to go from a filesystem to the other, I bought a 2 CF card to IDE reader :

My 2 CF card readerMy leds are beautifull 🙂

Get SFS from Aminet

Launch easynetwhen done, go on aminet and search for SFS packageget the most simple “SFS.lha”decrunch it (here I use DOpus) and copy the content of the drawer “AmigaOS3.X” to Lhere it is 🙂

Get HDInstTools from aminet and install SFS

Because it is a better tool than hdtoolbox for this.

download and decrunch hdinst.lhalaunch HDInstToolsHDInstTools choice of the good device. If you want to be sure, you should open an “informations” window on your OS partition to know where it is located, then here chose *the other one* !So now you choose to install the new filesystem with “Dateisystem” (you can have HDInst in english with the langage menu). We need to install it on the boot block, using this way, to make it available on boot (and then allowing to have the OS partition in SFS)you must delete the in place FFS filesystem (if any), and add the SFS one with “Hinzufgen”

Note 2018 03 10 : After many experimentations, my advice is to keep the fist partition (under 2Gb) in FFS to make the share with linux possible. So here : do not delete FFS, just ADD smartfilesystem

you go to L: and choose your “smartfilesystem” fileyou must change the “DOS\3” to “SFS\0”

Partition your drive:

after saving the modifications to the card (you have to get out of HDInstTools and then restart the amiga)

Note 2018 03 10 : After many experimentations, my advice is to keep the fist partition (under 2Gb) in FFS to make the share with linux possible. So here : let the first partition in FFS. Change only the second partition to SFS.

Partitions parameters summary

File System = custom,

DOSType = SFS\0

Mask = 0x7fffffffE (there are 6 “f”),

MaxTransfer = 0x0001fe00,

block size = 512 bytes

buffers = 100

It is very important to respect those parameters.

Save and you restart your computer.

Formating the first partition

you should now see this kind of things on the workbench : Not initialized partitions. Normally only the first one should appear if your CF is more than 4 Gb big, and you need one more step to make the second appear. If none appears, repeat the previous steps and verify the parameters of your partitions, because at least one should be there.

Note 2018 03 10 : SFSFormat command is a “quick format” one. You can also use the “Format” option of Amiga OS 3.9 if you want a complete format.

format your partition using the “sfsformat” command given by the sfs package.press return to formatif everything was ok, you should get back to the shell without any message

Copy your Amiga OS Files to the fresh new SFS partition

Using DOpus ?

You should now be able to reboot with your new partition.

LARGE HD SUPPORT

you must install NSDPatch package, so search for it on aminetchoose version 43.20install itcool, it’s done

add this to your startup-sequence, just after Setpatch command. If you have problems to make your partitions appear, try your setpatch command *without* the “skipromupdates scsi.device”

This is a part of the cli window with NSDPatch boot messages. You should *not* have “Activation DH1: failed” (DH1 or whatever is the name of your device)you can edit the NSDPatch config file, and comment all the lines you don’t need (in order to speed up your boot time a little)Tadaaa ! Your partition should now appear. If not, have a look to the parameters using HDInstTools, and verify the output of the NSDPatch command. Try also your “Setpatch” without any “scsi.device”.time to format your new partitionLike for the first partition, the SFSFormat command should end without any messsageYour 2nd partition’s alive and usable

SAFER FFS USE

Last update 2018 03 10

As your first partition should be kept in FFS to help sharing with linux, you should use DISKSAFE for a safer FFS use.